How long to build a usable model by a good Revit user?

[JuJitsoup]

I've recently joined a small practice who've been using solely AutoCAD for a decade. My request to them was that we started using Revit (which they have licences for) on all projects going forward. They agreed so I've been learning Revit for the last few months (25yrs on AutoCAD). I see all the benefits but I find it cumbersome at times when creating the simplest of things and can end up being a huge undertaking, at the moment at least.

As a small practice we're trying to work out if it's economic long term to use Revit on all projects (including domestic) once we're all fully trained and up to speed on Revit or whether sticking with AutoCAD would be better. We're prepared to take the financial hit in the short to medium term to allow us all the time to get fluent with Revit but, as always, it boils down to available fee and whether it will stretch far enough to build and utilise a Revit model in the future by a competent Revit user.

What I'd like to know is roughly how long it would take to create a usable (accurate and useful) Revit model for a particular example domestic project (I'll post up the CAD file) by someone who is well trained in Revit. I'd simply like an idea of the number of days it would take to draw up the measured survey to create the existing set then the proposed set. Would just need a quick look at the file to say "I reckon it would take X days to complete". We can then compare this against the time it took us to complete in AutoCAD.

Is there anyone who could help on this? Any help at all on this would be very much appreciated.

[harkeychad]

Where is the CAD file at?

[Monkey With No Name]

Are you producing 3D AutoCAD models or just 2D drawings? I'm in the M&E industry (15 years ACAD, 5 years Revit) and I would be confident going for an interview and saying I can produce drawings from Revit models quicker than 2D drawings in AutoCAD. Plus you get all the benefits you have already identified.

It took a while to develop the template to be able to do this, and the biggest "cost" for me was the frustration of Revit being Revit.

[damon.sidel]

I've been using Revit for about 14 years. I would say without question, that it is well worth making the switch.

I don't think you can boil it down to comparing drafting in ACAD to modeling in Revit for existing and proposed documents, unless that is truly the entire scope of your project. That is to say, there are coordination benefits and benefits realized in CA. Depending on how you leverage the tool, you can get more value out of it, too: energy modeling, material take-offs, and 3d renderings, to name just a few.

[marmiketin]

I have been using ACAD for 10 years and Revit for 4. Revit is much better in my opinion and a lot funner.
Biggest thing that needs to happen at the beginning is setting up your base template file in which all projects will start from. This will contain your sheets(building drawings, details, vertical movement, millwork,...) and series breakdowns (schematic design, design development, construction dwgs, sketches,...). It will also have all your basic wall/floor/roof type families, door/window families, casework ( http://www.aws-cds.com/ ), plumbing (toilets, sinks), annotations (callout bubbles, titleblocks, noteblocks, door/window tags, specialty tags,...).

Once all your families (like blocks in ACAD) are setup in the template all new projects will be started from here. As you work on more projects new families might be used and can then be added into the base template if needed. Also you will slowly build up a bigger and bigger library of families to use. Would be good to setup a naming convention at the start.

As for time to do a typical project, lets take for example a new construction 2 storey with basement 2,800sqft house it would take me roughly 10 days to get a complete drawing set ready depending on complexity (number of details that have to be done). Renovations will take longer or shorter depending on the extensiveness and whether or not the existing building needs to be modeled in its fullest, really depends on what you think is necessary to show.
I hope this helps.

[david_peterson]

I have 2 suggestions for you.
1.) Start by using Revit where you can get the most bang for the buck.
2.) Take and existing project that's been completed and try to model to see how long it might take.

When our firm started on Revit most of our projects just used Revit for things like Walls, Doors, Window, Floors (Plans, Large Sections, Schedule and Elevations)..... the things that model easily and document easily. Don't get caught in the weeds. KISS....Keep It Stupid Simple. If have all the details done in Autocad, keep them in Autocad. Don't bother trying to link them into Revit. The results won't be great. Don't worry if the large overall sections don't have all the detail you may be used to seeing (depending on how your firm uses Autocad). I've see some people that used to draw all the detail the section and them copy that to the detail. Revit 101 doesn't work that way. You can do it, but you'll need to build up lots of detail components prior so you can add them in. The model (In My Opinion) should be the thing that represent the Box or the 3D objects that take up space. I'd never model screws or nails. Those are detail items. If you're really good at detailing in Autocad, you can stay there for a bit. There's no law out there that I know of that says you have to keep your project all in one platform. When you get better at it and more comfortable in that environment, start using more of the tool. Revit has a Big Learning curve. The basics of walls doors and windows are easy things to work with. Work your way up to Nested detail component built in to curtain wall mullions or Adaptive Generic models to create funky patterns.

Start easy then work your way into it. The more you use it, the more you'll start to understand how Revit wants to work. It's NOT Autocad. You need a different mind set.

I started with Autocad 1994 while in High School. Nothing in the production environment until about 2002. But in-between I also had to learn ACA (the old ADT). I loved it while everyone else I knew hated it. Partly because I understood how the tool wanted to be used. Then I made the move to Revit. Yet another line of thinking. 3 tools that can present all the same information, and 3 different ways to get there.

Make the switch and don't bang your head off the desk to much. Come back and ask questions. Utilize your Autodesk account and watch some of the AU courses. They're free. Use the board like Augi, Revitforum, Autodesk Forum. Check out the other guys that post stuff on YouTube. There's more information out there than you can consume. Check out site like What Revit Wants, or RevitOPed buy Steve Stafford. Again there's a ton of free information out there, and you'll never consume that 1000 page user manual at once so start small and think big. Try not to get to frustrated. It's going to happen, but it's usually followed by an "Ah-Ha" moment.

Good Luck and Happy Reviting.